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Simple exercises can preserve strong shoulders

By Mike Bass

E-E Columnist

Whether we’re lifting bags, walking the dog, pushing the lawnmower or playing golf or tennis, we rely heavily on our shoulders to perform a number of activities. The joint typically has sufficient strength and motion to cope, but its design, ball and socket, means it relies on what’s called the “rotator cuff” (a group of four separate muscles that help us raise and rotate our arms) to keep it stable. However, muscles weaken with age, and the rotator cuff is no exception.

Preserving these muscles is important for the long-term stability of the shoulder. Two simple exercises can help you boost their strength.

They are:

1. Arm raises. Stand with your feet together or slightly apart. Place both arms at your side with thumbs turned upward. Raise your arms upward to just below the shoulder level, angling them slightly in front of you so they form a “V” shape. Return to the start position. Do three sets of 10 repetitions two or three times a week on alternating days. Start with a light weight; 1 pound in each hand. As you get stronger increase the weight.

2. External rotations (Hold a 1 pound weight in your hand and as you get stronger increase the weight. Lie on your side with a pillow under your head. Bend your arm at a 90-degree angle with your body. Squeeze the shoulder blade in and rotate your arm up, keeping your elbow pressed into your waist. Slowly lower the arm. Do three sets of 10 repetitions with each arm, two or three times a week on alternating days.

About 40 percent of people age 70 and older demonstrate rotator cuff tears on MRI scans. Tears can occur due to wear and tear and as a result of falls, which are common in older adults.

The tendons and muscles in the shoulder also can become inflamed due to normal age-related degeneration, as well as from overuse. Sports such as tennis or racket ball, or repetitive overhead motions or heavy lifting can strain the rotator cuff and the fact that it has a poor blood supply complicates matters because this can inhibit healing.

Typically, a person with a rotator cuff injury feels pain in the muscle at the top and outer side of the shoulder (deltoid muscle), especially when the arm is raised or extended out from the side of the body, or is being rotated. It also may be uncomfortable to sleep lying on the damaged shoulder and you may feel pain when pressure is put on the muscles. For example, motions such as putting your arm into a sleeve when dressing may be painful.

In most cases, rotator cuff tears can be treated by icing the shoulder area for about 20 minutes at a time to help reduce inflammation. Take pain medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), if necessary.

To help prevent rotator cuff injury:

1. Do the exercises recommended in this article or by your health care provider that optimize shoulder mechanics and strengthen the muscles around the rotator cuff and shoulder blade.

2. Take precautions to use the joint carefully for overhead maneuvers such as reaching for an object on a high shelf. Use a stool to make it more accessible instead of overreaching.